Describe your background and industry experience, and explain how it will help you contribute to the SOCAN Board of Directors?
I have been involved in music publishing for over 40 years, in leading the Nettwerk Music Group’s Publishing wing, and have worked with artists and writers such as Sarah McLachlan and Sinead O’Connor. I am a writer and performer (with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra) and a Publisher, and so I believe I have a good understanding of songcraft and publishing. I believe my experience allows me to work collaboratively with the SOCAN Board and Management in forging strategies to help SOCAN to be a “best-in-class” organization that offers excellent accounting to their clients, as well as finding ways to help publishers and writers thrive, whether that’s through strong international revenue collection and recognition, to “AI-Proofing” legislation as well as education. I care passionately about songcraft, writers and publishers, and view SOCAN as a key organization to help this music ecosystem thrive!
In your opinion, what issues will be most important to SOCAN members over the next three years?
Undoubtedly, how to best handle AI as it floods into the music space is going to be absolutely key to protecting writers, their songs and publishers.  SOCAN can be at the forefront of offering excellent strategies for this. Beyond this, however, it’s also crucial that the digital rates that songs get on the digital service providers (Spotify, Apple, Amazon — the main source of music consumption) continue to improve for writers and publishers. Finally ensuring there is a fluid and efficient collection of publisher and writer money from the US and international territories remains an absolutely key issue for writers and publishers in Canada. If done right, this will allow Canadian writers and publishers to be strong and robust for years to come.